- Thought Leadership
- Zambia
“The needs are great, and none of us — including me — ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love. And, together, we can do something wonderful.” — Mother Teresa
This quote is one of my all-time favorites. In addition to being inspirational, it reminds me that all change begins with a single individual. Yet, while one person can serve as a catalyst, big change only happens when many people pull in the same direction. And, when that’s the case — together — we become an unstoppable force for good.
Lately, throughout our entire organization, we’ve been talking a great deal about transformation. Actually, we’ve been doing much more than just talking about it; we’ve been working to make transformation happen.
“What have you been up to?” you may ask. We’ve been:
We’ve also been focusing less on relieving the symptoms of poverty and focusing more on its root causes. Our goal: Eradicate poverty for your child. Period.
Around the time that I was transitioning into my role as CI’s president, I travelled to the Dominican Republic to meet with staff, volunteers, kids and their families. One group I met with was particularly inspiring — young adults who had graduated from our program more than a decade ago who are now financially independent.
But their economic successes only revealed part of their phenomenal transformations.
In taking advantage of the programs you make possible, these young people also enriched lives — both their own and the people around them. They developed gratitude and a commitment to give back — a ripple effect of compassion and generosity.
That ripple began with you.
Today, each of these young people volunteers his and her time and talent helping disadvantaged children and youth. They are amazing examples of the power of ONE. Even more exciting? There are thousands more just like them!
They are such an inspiration. And so are YOU, as you are the ONE who enabled these transformations. When every ONE is doing their part, we have the power of (every)ONE at work.
Empowered and engaged youth are proof that our brightest days lie ahead.
Thank you for caring. Thank you for acting. Thank YOU for being ONE who creates ripple effects that will positively make this a better world. Thank you for being ONE very important part of this movement!
I hope you’re as excited as I am to see just how far we can go, together! Let us know what you think about these changes.
